Discharging device for endless conveyers.



No. 67|,268. Patented Apr. 2, I9DI.

' J. M. DODGE.

'DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS CONVEYEBS.

(Application fllei lily 6, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

/ ERS co. Puoroumo. wumuc'rou, u. c.

Patented Apr. 2, I901.

No. 67l,268.

J. M. DODGE. DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS GUNVEYERS.

(Application filed May 6. 1899 4 She s-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Em Mp0 No. 67l,268. Patented Apr. 2, l90l.

' J. m. DODGE.

DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS CONVEY'ERS.

(Application filed May 6, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheats-8heet 3.

JEncasZZ-Dfge,

f/QW/ JAMES M. DDeE,'oE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINKBELT ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF sAME PLAoE.

DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS CONVEYERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,268, dated April 2,1901.

Application filed May 6, 1899. berial No. 715,785. (No model.)

To aLZ whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DODGE,a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Discharging Devices for Endless Oonveyers, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for automaticallydischarging IO bucket elevators at any point on a horizontal run of aconveyer; and a further object of the invention is to utilizetheconveyerasa means for traversing the discharging mechanism in eitherdirection,asfully described hereinafter, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective viewillustrating my improved discharge apparatus for endless-chain bucketconveyers. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. 'Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view onthe line'et 4., Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of themachine.

This invention is especially adapted for discharging the buckets of anendless conveyer and is usually mounted on tracks on which thecarrying-wheels of the conveyer travel, so that by adjusting thedischarging device the buckets of the conveyer can dischargematerialinto any bin desired. The conveyer passes around the dischargeapparatus in such a manner that by shifting suitable mechanism theapparatus can be rigidly attached to the conveyer, so that the conveyerwill move it bodily along the rails in the direction in which theconveyor is moving, or the mechanism can be so shifted that areversemotion can be given to the discharge apparatus, so that it will move ina direction the reverse to the movement of the conveyer, or themechanism can be released from the conveyor and locked in a fixedposition, so that the conveyer will simply travel over the dischargeapparatus.

Ais an endless-chain bucket elevator. The particular bucket elevatorherein shown is that illustrated and claimed in the patent granted to meon the 4th day of August, 1896,

It will be understood that any suitable endless-chain conveyer havingbuckets may be used in connection with the apparatus which I will nowproceed to describe, certain alterations in the details of constructionof such apparatus being necessary to adapt the bucket conveyer to theapparatus.

The bucket elevator A consists of the links a a, at each side andtraction-wheels a, adapted to rails B B.

a represents the buckets, which are so formed as to carry material onthe lower and upper runs and on the vertical carrying-run and are shapedso that material will be discharged when the buckets are tilted to acertain degree on the upper run. The details of this bucket are fullydescribed in the patent mentioned above.

Referring now to the discharging mechanism, D is a frame, made in thepresent instance in the form shown in Fig. 2, having bearings for thefixed axle E, on which is mounted the sleeve E carrying the maindischarging sprocket-wheels E E. As shown in Fig. 3, these wheels arespaced so as to engage with the chains a a of the conveyer. At each sideof the wheels E E are wheels F and G, mounted on sleeves adapted,respectively, to the axles F and G, secured to the frame D. The wheels Fand G are simply guide-wheels for the purpose of holding theelevator-chains in proper contact with the Wheels E. The elevator-chainspass from the track B under the wheels F, over the wheels E',then underthe wheels G,and again assume the position on the track, and when thebuckets of the conveyer pass over the wheels E to the wheels G they willautomatically discharge their contents.

Adapted to bearings on the -frame D are axles G O, on which are thetraction-wheels c a, V-shaped in the present instance and adapted to thetracks B B.

The sleeve E on which the wheels E E are secured, is loose on its axleE, and on one of the wheels E is a grooved ring 6, to which is adapted aV-shaped annular rib h on a sprocket-wheel H, having teeth h.

K is a segment loose on the shaft E. The hub of this segment hasprojections 70, adapted secured to the frame of the machine.

The segment K has a segmental rack K at its lower end, which engageswith a pinion l on a hand-shaft L, carrying at its opposite end cams 'mand n, Figs. 4: and 5.

The axles O O are connected together by a drive-chain c, which passesaround sprocket- Wheels 0 c on the axles. One of the axles O is gearedto a drivenshaft I by gear-Wheels c and t", and on the shaft I is asprocket-wheel t', around which passes a chain 1 from the sprocket-WheelH on the axle E.

On the shaft I is a ratchet wheel 11 and carried by a shaft M is a pawlM. One arm of this pawl engages the teeth of the ratchetwheel '6 and theother arm is acted upon by the cam m on the shaft L. On the shaft M isan idler-wheel m, which guides the chain 1, as shown in Fig. 3.

Pivoted on one of the axles O is a lever N, Fig. 4, and this lever has ashoe 11, adapted to be forced into the V-shaped annular groove 6 in oneof the wheels E by the cam n on the hand-shaft L.

When the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, the frame isstationary, the axles O O being locked by the pawl M engaging theratchet-wheel't on the shaft I, which is geared to the axles, and theWheels E E are free to turn, so that as the conveyer passes around theWheels the buckets will be discharged at a given point.

When it is wished to move the discharge apparatus in a direction thereverse to the movement'of the conveyer,the sprocket-wheel H is forcedinto frictional contact with the ring 6 on the Wheel E by turning thehandwheel L on the shaft/L to the left. The shaft L is geared to thesegment K, and as it is turned it will turn the segment on the shaft E.The projections on the segment will strike the projections on the ringJ, and the segment and the wheel [-1 will be forced toward the ring 6 onthe wheel E, and as this sprocket friction-wheel H is geared to thesprocket-wheel 'i by the chain 1 the shaft I will be turned and willturn the axles O O, and the discharge apparatus will be traversed in adirection opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyer.

If it is wished to traverse the discharge apparatus in a direction thesame as the movement of the conveyer, then the Wheels E are locked tothe conveyer by turning the hand-wheel L in a direction opposite to thatdescribed above, so as to free the friction sprocket-wheel H and toforce the shoe 'n of the lever N by the cam it into the groove e of thewheel E. At the same time the cam m will act to raise the pawl M out ofcontact with the ratchet-wheel t and then allow the axles tions, and thedischarge apparatus will then remain stationary untilit is again desiredto shift it in either direction.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in an adjustable dischargingdevice for bucket conveyers, of an endless bucket conveyer, a frame, awheel mounted on the frame over which the conveyer asses to dischargeits load, and means for locking the said frame to the conveyer,substantially as described.

2. The combination of an endlesschain bucket conveyer, of a framemounted on rails, a wheel over which the conveyer passes to dischargeits load, driving mechanism for the frame, and means for throwing thedriving mechanism in gear with the wheels over which the con veyerpasses whereby the frame can be moved in a direction reverse to thetravel of the conveyer, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an endless bucket conveyer, a frame adapted totravel upon rails, wheels carried by said frame over which the conveyerpasses to discharge its load, means for locking one of the wheels to theframe so that the frame will travel with the con veyer,and drivingmechanism, with means for throwing the driving mechanism into gear withthe wheels so as to traverse the frame in a direction reverse to thetravel of the conveyer, and mechanism for either locking the frame tothe wheels or throwing it in gear with the driving mechanism,substantially as described.

4:. The combination in an endless bucket conveyer, of a traveling frame,wheels on said frame over which the bucket conveyer passes to dischargeits lead, driving mechanism so geared to one of the wheels as to movethe frame in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of theconveyer, brake mechanism for locking one of the wheels to the frame,and mechanism for locking the frame in a fixed position, with a devicefor throwing in either one of the three mechanisms, so that the framecan either remain stationary or travel in the direction of the travel ofthe conveyer or in a direction reverse to the travel of the conveyer,substantially as described.

5. The combination in an endless-chain bucket conveyer, of a framemounted on wheels and adapted to the conveyer-tracks, sprocket-wheelsaround which the bucket conveyer passes, guide-wheels at each end of theframe for guiding the conveyer, a friction-wheel on the axle, with meansfor throwing said friction-Wheel into contact with one of thesprocket-wheels, brake mechanism adapted to engage one of thesprocket-wheels, driving mechanism connected to the frictionwheel, anoperating-shaft, a pinion on said shaft, a segment engaging with saidpinion and. hung from the axle of the sprocketwheels, lugs on thesegmentadapted to engage with lugs on the frame so that on turning theoperating-shaft the friction-wheel will be forced in contact with thesprocket-wheel, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the carriage, axles, traction-wheels on saidaxles, a central shaft, wheels thereon, an endless-chain conveyeradapted to the wheels, guides, a hand-shaft,

a pinion on said hand-shaft, a pivoted segment meshing with the pinion,a sprocketwheel adapted to be thrown into frictional contact with one ofthe wheels around which the conveyer passes, a projection on the segmentengaging with a projection on the frame, and means for connecting saidsprocketwheel with the traction-wheel axles, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the frame, axles, traction-wheels thereon, adriven shaft geared to one of said axles, a sprocket-wheel on saiddriven shaft, a shaft having chain-wheels around which the conveyerpasses, a sprocketwheel adapted to be thrown into and out of frictionalcontact with one of said chainwheels, a chain passing from saidsprocketwheel to the sprocket-wheel on the driven shaft, a ratchet-wheelon the said driven shaft, a pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel, mechanismfor throwing said pawl out of gear, andmechanism for throwing thesprocketwheel in frictional contact with the chainwheel for theconveyer, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the frame, axles thereon, traction -wheels mountedon said axles, a driven shaft geared to one of the axles, asprocket-wheel on said shaft, an axle, chain-wheels carried thereby, asprocketwheel adapt-ed to be thrown into frictional contact with one ofsaid chain-wheels, a chain adapted to the sprocket-wheels, aratchetwheel on the driven shaft, a pawl adapted to engage with theratchet-wheel, a lever adapted to be thrown into frictional contact withone of the chain-wheels around which the conveyer passes, a hand shaft,two cams thereon one cam adapted to act upon the pawl and the other uponthe brake-lever, asegment geared to the hand-wheel and adapted to forcethe sprocket-wheel into frictional contact with the chain-wheel,substantially as described.

9. The combination of the frame having three axles E, F and G,guide-wheels mounted on the axles F and G, chain-wheels mounted on theaxle E, a conveyer Ahaving buckets,- the chains of the conveyer adaptedto the said chain-wheels, traction-wheels, axles on which the wheels aremounted, said axles being adapted to hearings on the frame, one of thesaid chain-wheels having an annular groove, abrake-lever having a shoeadapted to said groove, a friction-ring on the other chainwheel, asprocket-wheel, having a frictional ring adapted to the ring on thechain-wheel, a segment pivoted to the axle E, a projection on the saidsegment engaging with the projection on the frame, a hand-shaft L havinga pinion meshing withthe segment, a driven shaft I geared to one of theaxles, a sprocketwheel on said shaft, a chain passing around saidsprocket-wheel and around the sprocketwheel having the friction-ring, aratchetwheel also on the driven shaft 1, a pawl adapted to engage withthe ratchet-wheel, and two cams on the hand-shaft L, one cam acting uponthe pawl and the other cam acting upon the brake-lever, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination of the frame, axles E, F and G mounted on saidframe, wheels on said axles around which the conveyer passes, a frictionsprocket-wheel H, a driven shaft having a sprocket-wheel and a chainadapted to drive said shaft from the sprocket-wheel H, a segment pivotedto the axle E, a handshaft having a pinion engaging with the segment, ahand-wheel on said shaft on the outside of the frame, traction-wheels,axles O therefor, mechanism controlled by the handshaft for locking thedischarge apparatus to the conveyer, and means for gearing the dischargeapparatus to the conveyer in such a manner that it will move in areverse direction to the conveyer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J 0s. H. KLEIN.

